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Job summary

In this role you will be providing 2nd Line IT Support for the Nottingham Office.

Working to the Onsite Service Manager, you will take operational responsibility for managing your own queue, which will consist of incidents and requests and form part of our onsite support service.

The role of the Onsite Support Engineer is to ensure that our DfE colleagues are up and running as soon as possible supporting internal users and multiple external user groups that interact with DfE’s externally facing IT Services.

Work will be allocated by onsite leads, flexibility is key. You will also need strong stakeholder management and communications skills as you will liaise with VIPs and will be carrying out onsite clinics.

You will work collaboratively with the other teams, specifically including Service Desk, End User Computing, Networks and Security to ensure that our users’ requirements are met.

This role is office based and the successful post holder would be required to be in the office a minimum of 80% of the working week.

Job description

Staff in this role will be required to demonstrate strong customer focus, professionalism, flexibility and commitment to delivery of outcomes.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Deliver high quality support services for a range of IT systems and services, many of which are business critical.
• Handle incidents and requests from a diverse user base of key internal and external stakeholders across the DfE estate, liaising with other government departments as required.
• Centrally manage and administer accounts that are used by both internal and external stakeholders.
• Make extensive use of the organisations IT Toolset for Incident and Problem Management, request fulfilment, reporting and tracking of Service Levels.
• Diagnose and triage customer incidents/requests using a variety of applications and processes.
• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with key stakeholders and users to help understand their business requirements and priorities.
• Transforming DfE’s Support Services, driving continuous improvement, automation and self-service.
• Maintain and update Onsite Teams’ operational documentation, including knowledge bases and user guides.
• Ensure all queries are resolved within agreed timescales to meet SLAs.
• Carry out regular reviews of existing processes and procedures and suggest areas for improvement.
• Carry out testing of new system functionality where appropriate.
• Ensure security of end user products is not compromised and follow appropriate security procedures.
• Provide and guidance to projects during planning and rollout as and when required.
• Providing onsite support clinics to remote sites (travel may be required) as per agreed schedule or as and when required.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

We are looking for someone with a flexible approach to working patterns as we operate on a shift rota basis.

Customer Service Management:

• Resolves user requests in line with the agreed service level agreement.
• Able to empathise with the end user.
• Uses customer-focused metrics to achieve a satisfying outcome.

Information Technology:

• Training will be provided but an interest in pursuing a career within IT services is essential.

Ownership and Initiative:

• Takes ownership of problems and proactively resolves technical problems, ensuring that technical solutions continue to meet business requirements.
• Takes full accountability for actions taken and decisions made.

Service Focus:

• Aware of different products and services and how they are used together to deliver business requirements.

In addition, it is essential that you have:

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Basic understanding of Microsoft Products. E.G. Outlook, Skype, Teams, Word & Excel.
• Basic understanding of networking & telephony.
• The ability to use your own initiative to aid in diagnostics.

Desirable Criteria

• ITIL v3 OR v4 foundation.
• Working knowledge of ServiceNow.
• Windows 10 troubleshooting experience.
• An understanding of ITIL methodology.
• Microsoft O365 skills.
• Microsoft Certified Professional.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie break situation at interview to make an informed decision.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,479, Department for Education contributes £9,119 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this role you will be required to provide your CV and a personal statement, through which we will assess your experience.

• Your CV should show details of your employment history, including roles held, any related qualifications and the previous skills and experience gained from those roles, in alignment with the essential criteria.
• Your statement (max 1000 words) should show how your experience demonstrates the listed essential criteria.

We will sift your CV and statement together, with those passing the sift being invited to attend an interview.

In the event of a high volume of applicants, we will sift using the experience demonstrated in your CV only.

Interview

At interview, we will ask questions to further assess your experience in accordance with the listed essential criteria.

Other Information

Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview.

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Please refer to the attached ‘Reasonable Adjustments Guide 05_2025 – accessible version’ at the bottom of the advert, for further information.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Steve Green
• Email : steve.green@education.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk

Further information

The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via CentralRecruitment.Operations@education.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages

Attachments

DFE Terms & Conditions - accessible version Opens in new window (pdf, 215kB)Reasonable Adjustments guide 05_2025 - accessible version Opens in new window (pdf, 723kB)OGD Transfer Supplementary information - accessible version Opens in new window (pdf, 327kB)